So, it's about that time again. Countless news articles about frat bros hazing their pledges, popping up on everyone's news feeds like the plague. Honestly, I roll my eyes at most of them at this point - not all fraternities haze, and the media consistently reporting on every hazing accusation does not put Greek life in a positive light, because no one wants to report on the thousands of hours of community service we do. But this article here really lit a fire under my ass this week.

Last Wednesday, five University of Alabama Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers were arrested for hazing their pledges by making them stand in buckets of ice and salt, causing burns on their feet, according to The Birmingham News and NBC. Then Kmarko, author for Barstool Sports, wrote a snarky article and his summary of the event goes as follows:

"As for the actual allegations … eh, whatever. You know the drill by now. 95 percent of the time these hazing allegations are so overblown and met with wayyyy too much outrage. There are the obvious exceptions, like the recent Baruch story where those assholes actually killed a kid, then tried to cover it up, but for the most part it’s just dumb shit that’s been going on forever, only now we’re in a climate where there’s absolutely zero tolerance for it.

But in this case it seems a little extreme. Handcuffs and jail for standing in ice buckets? Criminal charges for cold salt water on your feet? Unless these kids’ feet melted straight off into the bucket and you’ve got an entire Phi Gam pledge class with nubs and peg legs, looks like somebody is trying to make a statement."

I don't know if Kmarko actually understands what happens when you add salt to ice water, but according to my general chemistry textbook, it slows the melting rate and increases the freezing rate of the ice (therefore lowering the temperature). Some idiot made up the ice and salt challenge, where (you guessed it) you pour salt on some part of your body and then place an ice cube on it to see who can withstand the pain longer. Another test of masculinity, I suppose, and probably where the Phi Gam actives got the idea.

Depending on how long you keep the ice on the salted part of your body, you can get up to third degree burns. It may sound like some weak sh*t, but it's one of those weird chemistry things that end up being a lot worse than it sounds. Those pledges probably still can't walk - so good, for Alabama PD for arresting these guys. Maybe they should make them (and Kmarko) stand in buckets of salt and ice water and see how funny it is.